Ford Escort Air conditioner

BJONESVA5

MEMBER
FORD ESCORT

Have a 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 with the 2.0 litre DOHC engine 111,000 miles. The air condition compressor will only work if the high pressure switch is disconnected. Had a mechanic test pressures, all within normal range. He replaced the high pressure switch, did not fix problem. I noticed that when the air conditioner runs that both sides (did this by touching the tubes under the hood) are ice cold, I thought one side would be cold and the other hot. That is not the case. Could that be the problem and if so, what could cause that. I don't want to spend a bunch of money on the car, just trying to decide if it is work fixing. It will work with the high pressure switch disconnected, but then that means the cooling fan runs on high speed all the time.

8 Replies

AUTOPOP

MEMBER
49 POSTS

You might have A/C system overcharged and it's causing high pressure switch to cut out.
Is inside cabin temperature go down when A/C runs, and how fast?

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Friday, May 18th, 2007 AT 12:09 PM

RUDPRO

MECHANIC
224 POSTS

It's not good to run the system too long with the switch disconnected. The compressor wll run too much and the evaporator could freeze. I'm surprised it runs with the switch disconnected. Could the new switch be defective? There should be a thermostatic switch on or by the evaporator which might be bad, that's something else to check. Some are adjustable by a screw. There might also be a low pressure switch.

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Friday, May 18th, 2007 AT 2:05 PM

BJONESVA5

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5 POSTS

Thanks for the help, I did some of the things suggested, and have not found the problem. Another question, I notice on my other cars when you run the air conditioning, on of the lines from the compressor is cold, and one is hot, on the Escort both are cold. In researching on the internet I would think that one of those lines should be hot, going/coming from the condensor. If that is true what could be wrong?

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Friday, May 25th, 2007 AT 3:10 PM

AUTOPOP

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49 POSTS

Where is your high pressure switch located?
What is running pressure reading of both high and low side?

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Monday, May 28th, 2007 AT 2:39 AM

BJONESVA5

MEMBER
5 POSTS

I pressure switch is in the drivers side of the car at the front connected to the line going to the condensor. I don't know the pressure numbers, I had two mechanics test it on their machines, and said they were in specs.

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Monday, May 28th, 2007 AT 3:10 PM

AUTOPOP

MEMBER
49 POSTS

Check and see high pressure line from condenser to receiver/drier is not freezing especially at orifice/filter tube.
Please provide some pressure readings.

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Monday, June 4th, 2007 AT 2:31 PM

AUTOPOP

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49 POSTS

If pressure readings are within spec. Than it should work but if only low pressure readings were taken then it could fool you.
Was there any work done on this vehicle prior to this problem?

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Monday, June 4th, 2007 AT 2:35 PM

BJONESVA5

MEMBER
5 POSTS

I'm sorry I don't have the pressure readings, but the mechanic who works on the car said it was in specs on both sides. There has been no work done to the airconditioner except to replace the pressure switch, which made no difference. One thing I noticed is that both lines coming from the compressor are cold when it is running. It does not freeze up, and the compressor actually cycles off and on. I checked on my Jeep and notice on that, that one line off the compressor is cold and the other is hot. Could maybe there be something on the Ford that is broken that allows both lines to always be cold?

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Tuesday, June 5th, 2007 AT 7:12 AM